A Few Extra Elements
by Shibamango
Summary: The Gaang learns of two new elements- wood, and metal, belonging to two entirely undiscovered nations. They set off to find the nations, only to discover that behind the hidden nations lies a crisis that surpasses anything they've ever encountered.
1. Chapter 1

Aang leaned back in his chair. This job was too hard. "Zuko, let's take a break!" he said.

"No way. You've held this off for too long. You're going to help me figure out how to repair this country before," He looked out the window at the setting sun. "Dammit, the day is almost over."

Aang perked up. "Can I go now?"

"Fine, you can go."

Aang airbended out of his chair and rushed to the coat hanger. He was 15 now, and although he had greatly matured since they met three years ago, he was still a kid.

"Where are you going, anyway?" Zuko asked Aang, who was pulling on his orange cloak, and puffing up his collar.

"Toph and Katara are having a showdown in the courtyard."

"Did they get in another fight?"

"Nope, this one's just for practice. And entertainment." He added. "Are you coming?"

"I'm going to finish up here, thanks."

"Come on, Zuko, it'll be fun!"

Zuko only shook his head. "Fire Lord." He said, pointing at the flame done up in his hair.

"Suit yourself" he walked out the room and turned a corner.

Zuko went back to his papers and sighed. Since becoming the new Fire Lord, the responsibilities had piled up. He had taken the throne at the worst possible time, economically, for the country. And he still had quite a few radical fire associates in the palace who had supported Fire Lord Ozai's original plan, although most of the country's citizens had long grown tired of it. The Fire Nation officials had spent so much money on the war, that many of the nation's smaller towns and villages had been reduced to poverty; some had even been abandoned.

Zuko knew all this, and sighed as he asked himself how he was going to help his people. He leaned back in his chair, and clasped his hands on his forehead.

"That does it!" he stood up, knocking over his chair, and left the room, turning a corner.

"Hey, Zuko!" Zuko turned around and saw a figure running at him.

"Sokka! I haven't seen you around in a while."

"Yeah, I've been busy. Water tribes stuff. Are you coming to the courtyard?"

"Yep. I'm betting on Toph."

"I don't know, Katara can be pretty fierce."

"Oh, I know." Said Zuko. "Bad memories."

They reached the courtyard where Toph, Katara, and Aang were chatting.

"Hey, Sokka! Zuko!" waved Katara.

"Twinkle Toes was just telling us you weren't coming." Toph said to Zuko.

"Yeah, well, I needed a break."

"Are we gonna do this?" Said Sokka.

"Let's get going! Although," said Katara, "I had an idea, earlier."

"Tell us about it." Said Aang.

- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

At the front gate, someone was knocking rapidly. The servants rushed to the door to see who it was.

"What on Earth..?" Said one servant, peering out the peep hole.

- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Alright! Everyone ready?" Toph shouted. "Then let's go!" Toph and Zuko stood opposite Katara, Aang, and Sokka. Several things happened at once.

Toph, always the first to act, sent a boulder hurtling at Aang. He sank in to the earth as Katara sent a frozen spear right at Toph's head. Zuko melted it in mid air, as Sokka's boomerang flew past and hit him in the back of his head.

"Hiya! I gotcha!" He shouted, right before he sank knee deep into the ground. "Aw, Toph!" He whined.

Aang emerged from underground and sent a slice of wind at Toph and Zuko, leaving a two foot deep ditch in the ground.

"Stinkin airbending!" Growled Toph, as she lifted a wall from the ground to shield herself and Zuko.

"Wait!" Shouted Katara.

"What, done already?" Asked Aang, dropping a frozen ball of ice.

"No, look!"

A servant stood at the edge of the courtyard, panting.

"My lord," she wheezed. "There's someone here to see you. He says it's urgent."

"Ah geez." Zuko sighed. "I'll be right there."

"He asked for the Avatar, as well."

The Gaang looked around at each other.

"What is this about?" Asked Sokka, still knee deep in the ground.

"He wouldn't say. Please, sir, he was very worried."

"Alright, let's go." Said Toph. She stomped her foot, and Sokka popped out of the ground, falling flat on his face.

They followed the servant down the hall, into the meeting room, where a very ragged looking old man sat, twitching.

"Fire Lord." He got up and bowed. "I've waited a long time for this." The group sat, facing him at the table.

"What are you here for?" Asked Zuko, center.

"I've traveled across the world to reach you, and the Avatar. My country is in great need of help."

"The Earth Kingdom?" Asked Katara.

"The Wood Island."

The group sat silent. "The what?" Asked Sokka.

"I'm not surprised you don't know of it. The Wood Island and the Metal Island have been estranged from the world for many years."

Zuko got up and pulled back a curtain hanging on the wall, revealing a world map. "Can you show us where your islands are?"

"Certainly. Right.. here." He pointed at two miniscule islands below the Western Air Temple, surrounded by hundreds of even smaller islands, closely grouped together.

"You hardly notice them," Said Katara, squinting.

"Why aren't they labeled?" Asked Sokka.

"Well, that part of the world is largely unexplored." Said Zuko. "My father always assumed they were all uninhabited islands.

"There were legends among the Air Temples of two islands, where there were two more, secret elements." Said Aang, "But, I mean, they were just stories. Nobody even knew where the islands were."

"Well, they're both right here." The man tapped the map. "This one's the Metal Island," He pointed to the larger of the two, "and this one's the Wood Island."

"So what's the problem?" Zuko asked as they sat down again.

"The problem is that the Metal Nation has been destroying the Wood Island. I left the island a year ago, and it wasn't pretty. The Metal people have been colonizing the Wood peoples' land, and making the Wood people work as their servants. They've destroyed whole villages, leaving the people who lived there with nowhere to go but to a metal colony to work! There are almost no woodbenders left," He said, stomping his foot. "and the Wood culture is dying out. It took me a year just to get here." He turned to Aang. "You've got to help."

"We'll need to talk it over," Said Zuko, standing.

"We have a lot to deal with right now," Said Aang, "But we'll see what we can do." The group stood and left the room.

Later that night, at dinner, the five discussed it.

"What I don't understand," said Toph, "is why you, as the Avatar, didn't know about this. Wouldn't one of your spirit buddies have let you in on it?"

Aang shrugged.

"Yeah, Toph's right." Said Sokka. "I'm not sure I trust this guy."

"But if he's right, it means that a whole country needs our help." Offered Katara. "We can't just say no to that."

"The Avatar is the one this man wants, not the Fire Lord." Said Zuko. "What do you think, Aang?"

"I think.." he looked up from his food. "I think I'd better sleep on it." He stood up from the table. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kaeo stepped out into the sunlight, and wormed her way through the crowd. It had been weeks since the nuns had let her out of the convent, and she was going to take advantage of it. She scanned the tables, and took in the sweet aroma of coconut, mango, and passionfruit. She could almost see the scents drifting through the air. She closed her eyes and took it all in; she loved the marketplace. She added a few kiwis to her basket, and then headed over for some lettuce, skipping the meat and poultry section. The nuns were vegetarians.

When Kaeo returned to the convent, she found the head nuns gathered around the main table.

Kaeo bowed her head and proceeded to the kitchen.

"Kaeo," a nun beckoned her to the table.

"But the groceries.." She lifted up her basket.

"Leave them on the stairs."

Kaeo approached the solemn nuns with caution. Nothing could be good all the head nuns in the convent wanting to talk to her, a serf.

"Sit down."

A kinder looking old woman touched Kaeo's arm. "Kaeo, you're 16 now. That means you must choose to stay here, and serve the convent and our Lord," the nuns bowed their heads and whispered, "may we serve our Lord well", "Or," continued the nun, "you can take up work as a private maid to a family living here."

Kaeo had never enjoyed her life in the convent. After her parents' death, she had lead a life of slavery, serving a god that she didn't believe in. The nuns had oppressed her, trying to take her own culture away from her. They told her daily that she came from an inferior race, that she must fight to rise above it. Her people were nothing but savages, they said, practicing spirtual voodoo.

"Does the family have a mother?" She asked.

Before the nuns could answer, the giant doors to the colonial style building opened up, and in walked a tall man dressed in silk clothing, adorned with metal.

"Is this her?" the nuns nodded.

"She looks well mannered. She'll do fine." And just as quickly as the tall man had entered, he left.

"Kaeo," a nun walked forward with another servant following close behind, carrying a wooden box.

"When you came to us, eight years ago, all of your belongings were taken from you. You remember this?"

Kaeo nodded. Worldly possessions were not needed in the house of the Lord, the nuns always said.

"These things are not ours to keep. They are yours."

Kaeo took the box and held it against her side.

"Your nex master is outside, waiting for you. And Kaeo," said the oldest nun in the room, the one that had touched her arm. "You will pray to our heavenly father?" Again, the nuns bowed their heads and murmured.

Kaeo faked a smile. "I'll do my best." She turned around and whispered to herself, 'you senile old bat.'

She pushed open the heavy wooden doors and once again, stepped out into the heat. On the porch stood the tall man, smoking a long metal pipe.

"Ah, here you are." He said. "I was wondering if the nuns would ever let you go." He scanned her up and down.

Kaeo had an average height. Her silvery blonde hair was tied with a plain gray ribbon and reached down to her shoulders. She was wearing the clothes given to her by the convent, marking her place as a maid. A gray elbow length cotton blouse, followed by a gray skirt of the same fabric, reaching down to her feet. A small white apron covered the upper half of her skirt. She wore no shoes.

The man moved his eyes up. She had strong arms, probably from carrying buckets of water up and down stairs. Her hands were dirty, her face was dirty. Her eyes had the look of someone who had been through a lot of pain. And she had. He had heard the story of the greatest woodbending family in the country, and how they had been torn apart by his country's religious intolerance.

Very few people knew the secrets of the wood benders, and the tall man was one of them. It had been his generation that had purged the Wood Nation of their benders. The wood benders were a peaceful people who focused on Karma, giving back to the Earth, and communicating with the Spirit World.

The Metal Nation's religion, however, focused not on the Spirit World, but on one god, their relationship with that one god, and helping others to form a similar relationship Their religion ultimately prevailed, and as Metal Nation citizens colonized the Wood Nation, they also spread their religion even deeper.

The man sighed as he looked into his new servant's eyes. He saw in them the last fifty years of pain and misery for this girl's people.

The girl approached the tall man, and as he took a puff of his pipe, she took a mental note of his appearance. He had black hair and pale white skin. He wore long, black, silky pants, and a black coat. A golden necklace shined through his coat, with a tortoise engraved on the bronze pendant.

"My name, is Taine." He held out his hand.

"Kaeo." She shook it.

"We'll have to get you some new clothes. The other maids at the house have a very different uniform."

Taine was not at all what Kaeo had expected in her new boss. All the same, she followed him down the steps and away from the convent that she had spent the last eight years of her life.

Taine and Kaeo passed through the wood village, and after a short walk on a dirt road bordered by familiar tropical trees and plants. They came to a clearing in the forest. Tall iron buildings loomed over them. Kaeo studies the buildings closer. Each one had large iron doorknobs, many with the design of a turtle on them.

"Have you ever been to the metal colonies before?" Taine asked.

"When I was younger, before I worked at the convent, I went to a metal trading post. There were maybe 50 colonizers buliding houses there. But nothing as elaborate as this." She rolled up her sleeves and looked up at the roofs. They all had iron weather vanes. And further down, each building had iron staircases running down the walls.

"You were probably here, about ten years ago."

"What, this place? That's impossible, this place is nothing like the trading post I went to."

"Well, it's been built up a bit since then." He said.

"Geez, how fast do metal benders work?" She said, awed.

"Faster than wood benders." He answered.

Kaeo averted her eyes. The subject of woodbending was rarely brought up.

"Did you help build this place?" She asked.

"You mean to ask, am I a metal bender?"

Kaeo, embarassed, nodded. "Just curious."

"Well, yes. I am. It's in my family." He said. "And you?"

She looked up. "And I what?"

"Are you a bender?" This man was too strange. Where had he been the last ten years?

"Well, no. Nobody woodbends anymore."

"I see. It's a shame. The two elements go so nicely together."

"They're opposites, though." Kaeo replied, kicking her bare feet into the road.

"Opposites attract, some say. Well, here we are!" Taine stopped in front of a large, iron building.


	2. Chapter 2

Taine stopped in front of a large iron, and white painted mansion. It, like so many other buildings, had that familiar turtle doorknocker.

Inside, Kaeo spotted heavy furniture, beautifully embroidered carpets hanging from the walls, and center, a large iron staircase leading up.

"You'll need a tour of the house.." muttered Taine as he rang a large bell on a nearby table. Kaeo heard some light treading, and down the stairs came a blonde haired girl in a white blouse, black pants, and a white apron.

"Yes, sir?" She gave Taine a quick bow.

"This is our new servant, Kaeo. Give her a tour of the house, show her what needs to be done, and see that she gets a uniform."

"Of course, sir."

"This," he turned to Kaeo, "is one of our other servants, Pineke. Pineke, Kaeo. Kaeo, why don't you give Pineke your box thing" he motioned to the wooden box that she was holding at her side.

"I'll keep it with me, actually."

Taine left the hall, and Pineke led Kaeo through the house, giving instructions. When, where, how to clean what.

"So, where are you from?" Pineke asked.

"Oh, you know, the Wood Island."

Pineke gave a look of annoyance. "Well I know that from your hair" she said. "All Wood Islanders are blonde like you. I meant, where on the island?"

"Oh, I grew up working in a convent on the east side."

"Really! I've never been to that side before! I've always worked for Master Taine's family. Just me, and the cook, Master Taine, and his wife and son. To be honest, I don't know why they hired you at all. No offense," she added, "but we've pretty much got everything covered. All you need to do is work in the morning and at night."

Pineke talked so quickly, it was hard to comprehend what she had just said. Was that an insult..? Kaeo thought. She couldn't tell.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room." Pineke led Kaeo up the metal staircase, into a low roofed attic. The attic was a breath of fresh air for Kaeo- all of the walls were wooden.

"Your room is right in here," said Pineke, opening a waist high door at the end of the room.

Kaeo ducked inside, and once inside, straightened her body to see. It wasn't much- a table, a single bed, a trunk. What Kaeo was pleased about were the dark mahogany walls. She ran her hand along the wall.

"This entire structure is made of wood, not metal?" She asked Pineke, standing beside her.

"Yeah, actually Master Taine insisted on it. I don't know why, Metal's so much better." She said, disdain in her voice.

Kaeo turned to face her. "Where did you say you're from?" She asked.

"Oh, I'm from the metal colony."

"You mean, the Wood Island."

"No, I mean the Metal Colony. Saying Wood Island makes it sound like I'm in a tribe or something."

Kaeo looked out the small window at the end of her room. She had the view of a small courtyard, with only one iron door leading to it. Stacked up against the walls were immense iron blocks. She looked up.

"A tribe?" She repeated.

"Well, you know how they live."

But Kaeo was not in the mood to argue. It had been a long day. "Look," she said, "I'm kind of tired, so.."

"No problem." Pineke said cheerfully. "There's a uniform for you on the bed."

As Pineke closed the door, Kaeo sat down on her bed and put her box in front of her. It wasn't very big, only the size of a shoebox. It had a delicate design of a woodpecker on the top, nibbling at the base of a tree.

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_"Dad, what's that a picture of?" A six year old Kaeo pulled on her father's sleeve. They were standing in the family's workshop, filled with furniture and tiny toys and models. _

_"It's a woodpecker. This tiny little bird taught our ancestors to woodbend, thousands of years ago." _

_"Oh. So what are you making?"_

_"A box. I made one for all of your brothers when they were your age."_

_"Do you wish they were little again like me?"_

_"Well," Kaeo's father laughed. "they were a lot of trouble back then. I think I like them better now that they're older."_

_"What about me? Don't you like me little?"_

_"Kaeo, my wooden princess," he picked her up and rested her on his hip. "I love you just the way you are."_

_She kissed her father on the cheek. _

_"Now, look closely, Kaeo. This is a special family box. There is no lid to it."_

_"Well then how do I open it?"_

_"You have to woodbend it open. When you can woodbend well enough, you can open this box."_

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_Someone was talking to Kaeo's mother at the door. He was wearing strange black and red clothing. She didn't recognize him. _

_"Kye, who's that?" An 8 year old Kaeo asked her older brother._

_"Kaeo," said her brother, "go to your room."_

_"But-"_

_"Go on. I'll come get you."_

_Kaeo consented. She went to her room and sat down on her bed, and waited. But her brother didn't come for her. Finally, she felt she had waited long enough._

_"KYE! I'M COMING OUT!" She called, as she pulled back the curtains that the woodbending family used for doors. She turned the corner into her father's at-home workshop, and saw her father and Kye conversing over someone's box- _hers_. Kye was slipping something inside it. _

_"Hey," she entered the room. "What are you doing to my box?"_

_Kaeo's father looked up and bended the box shut. "Nothing," he said. He picked up the box and handed it to Kaeo. "Do not lose this box. Understand? It's very important that you keep it with you."_

_"But Dad-"_

_"Kaeo, this is important! Do you understand!"_

_"Yes!" She shouted, tears in her eyes. Her father had never yelled at her before. _

_Kaeo turned around to see a tall man at the door, with black hair and metal armor. He wore a red, white, and black headband on his forehead._

_She followed the tall man, her father, and her brother out of the room, and watched as her father and mother, hand in hand, walked out the front door. Something was not right. Kye picked her up and hugged her._

_"Never forget where you come from." He whispered in her ear. His tears fell onto her face. _

_He walked out the door, escorted by the tall man._

_"Kye!" Kaeo ran to the window. She saw Kye climb into a wagon with all 8 of her other brothers, and ride away._

_"KYE! WHERE ARE YOU GOING? KYE!" She ran out the door and tripped on the front steps. _

_"Don't worry!" She felt a woman's arms holding her back. "They'll be happy in the army!"_

_"What's an ARMY!" She screamed, struggling._

_Kaeo clutched at her box, and, kicking and screaming, was carried away. She opened her eyes and caught a glimpse of the tall man setting fire to her house, and there, in front- two bodies lying on the ground, hand in hand. _

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Kaeo ran her hand over the smooth surface, tracing the carved wood pecker's design. She curled her fingers and dug her nails into the side of the box, careful not to damage the wood. She took a deep breath, and she sighed out, she slid her hand off, and the top of the box slipped open, revealing a bundle wrapped in a white cloth inside.

She took the bundle in her hands, and unwrapped it in her lap. Inside, she found a scroll, a pair of men's gloves, a rolled up belt, and a small feather. Kaeo recognized the feather as that of a woodpecker. She unrolled the scroll. It showed a figure in different scenes, performing varied woodbending moves.

Next she picked up the gloves. They were her father's old work gloves. They were worn around the fingers, but they were still thick and leathery. They felt powerful.

Kaeo felt for the next item, the belt. She had never seen it before. It was unused. It was long, too big for her, like the gloves. It had small rectangular pieces of different types of wood, hanging of it. Oak, Mahogany, Cherry, Bamboo, dozens more. Kaeo unhooked each of them and rubbed them in her hands before hooking it back on.

"Where am I going to keep this stuff?" She muttered to herself. She couldn't let it get out of her sight again.

She got up and walked over to the wall. It was strong, one or two feet thick. She ran her finger over it, tracing a square, leaving a trail with her nail as she went. She placed her hand in the middle of the square she had just carved in, and pulled it out, leaving a hole in the wall, perfectly large enough to fit her box inside. She took the block of wood that she had just bended out, and, pushing it between her two hands, compressed it into a plate, which she fit over the hole. She smoothed over the surface with the palm of her hand.

"There." She stood back. Now it was impossible to tell that Kaeo had just mutilated the walls of her new master's house.

- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Aang stirred in his sleep. Roku appeared in his motionless mind.

"So, how'd you sleep?" Asked Katara at breakfast the next morning. They were the only ones at breakfast every day. Sokka and Toph liked to sleep in, and Zuko was already hard at work as Fire Lord.

"Avatar Roku came to me in a dream."

"Really?" She sat up. "What did he say?"

"He explained the whole thing! Apparently the Wood and Metal Nations have been there as long as every other country, but cut off their ties to the Spirit world a long time ago."

"That explains why there isn't a wood or a metal avatar." Said Katara.

"Right. But he said this all happened so long ago, nobody really remembers that it ever happened. So that's why nobody's ever heard of the islands."

"But why is the Metal Nation invading the Wood Island in the first place?"

"He didn't mention it." Aang said. "But Katara," Aang leaned forward. "Roku said that our entire take on the elements is about to change."

Katara lowered her eyebrows. "How?"

"He wants me to learn the extra elements. To bend them."

Katara slouched in her chair. "How are you supposed to do that, huh?" She leaned forward again and lowered her voice. "You don't have a _teacher._"

"We'd have to go there, find one."

"Find two." Katara was skeptical.

Aang's face grew more serious. "What am I supposed to do, then?"

She sighed. "I think we should go."

Aang took Katara's hand from over the table. "I think so too. But I have so much work to do with Zuko, it might not be for a while."

- - - - - - - - - -

"It's fine with me, if you want to go." Zuko said, that afternoon at lunch. "But we all have work to do. When do you think you can finish it?"

"I can finish the Water Tribes' treaties by tomorrow." Said Katara. "But I'll need to leave to make an appearance in both tribes. And that'll take three weeks."

"I haven't seen Suki since she left with the other Kyoshi warriors. As soon as Katara and I are done with the treaties, I'm going to go see her." Said Sokka.

"I've got to go home for a while, too." Said Toph, poking at her food.

The whole group stared at her. Zuko, his chopsticks halfway to his mouth, said, "_You're_ going home?"

"You haven't been home since Aang defeated Ozai." Said Katara.

"Yeah and that was like, three years ago." Sokka added.

"I know, but my parents keep sending me letters, saying they want me home, to make sure I'm not a total barbarian or anything."

Sokka snorted.

"I'd be careful about that, Toph." Said Aang. "Remember the last time they wanted you home? They sent those two Earthbenders to kidnap you?"

"Yeah, and I beat them into a tiny metal box. Don't worry, guys, I'll be fine!" She said, sensing their skeptical faces.

"Well, then, I guess that settles it. I'll have the treaties finished by tomorrow, with Sokka's help, and then we can all be on our way!" Said Katara.

"And it'll take me and Aang about a month to settle our finance business," said Zuko, "Then I think we should all rendezvous back here, and head out to deal with this island business."

The next afternoon, the group was exchanging hugs in front of Appa. Momo fluttered around Aang's head as he kissed Katara goodbye.

They were the same heights now. Katara hadn't changed much, her looks had finally caught up with her age, a 17 year old girl. But Aang had taken on the look of a serious working Avatar. He had lost his old airbending clothes, and exchanged them for orange robes. A large wooden beaded necklace hung around his neck, with symbols of the Air nomads carved in.

Zuko hadn't changed his look much either. He just looked tired. He hadn't been prepared to take on this much responsibility, and it showed under his eyes.

Sokka, who like Zuko, was now 18, had grown his hair a bit, had gotten stronger, came into possession of new water tribe clothing, and had gotten a tattoo of the silhouette of a wolf on his arm.

Toph, was 15 like Aang, had blossomed; as much as a girl like Toph could. She had never been comfortable with herself until she had met her friends, and since then, her confidence glowed. She wore the same clothes she wore when she met everyone, but she now donned long brown pants. She had grown taller, although she was still by far the shortest member of the group.

"Alright, we get it! We love each other!" Laughed Sokka as the entire group hugged once more.

"This is the longest time we'll have been apart since, ever!" Toph said, waving her arms.

"I'm going to miss everyone so much," said Katara, wiping away a tear.

"So what's the plan? How is everyone getting there and back?" Asked Zuko.

"We're all going together, on Appa. We'll drop off Sokka first, on Kyoshi Island, then take Toph to the estate, and I'll take Appa to the poles. And then I'll come back and pick everyone up again in 30 days." Explained Katara, boarding Appa and taking the reins.

"See you later, guys!" Shouted Toph, who was being pushed up onto Appa's saddle by Sokka.

"Geez, Toph, you've gotten so much heavier since we rescued you" Complained Sokka. "I used to carry you around.."

And before they knew it, Zuko and Aang were waving goodbye to their best friends.

"Alright, Aang. Let's get back to work." Said Zuko, pushing Aang to the side and almost knocking him over.

"Can't we take a break first?" Aang grumbled before going back into the palace.


	3. Chapter 3

The next few days went by quickly for Kaeo. She finished cleaning by midmorning, and then had all day to do whatever she wanted, until she returned to the house to do the dishes with Pineke and the cook.

Lately, though, she had been waking up at odd hours of the night to loud, crashing noises coming from the mystery courtyard outside her window. But she had always been too lazy to get up and check.

One day, during dish cleaning, she asked Pineke about it.

"You were probably hearing Master Taine's son."

"What do you mean?" Kaeo asked.

"He was probably metal bending. He usually practices at night."

"It's so loud though."

"Yeah, he makes a lot of noise."

That night, as she was awakened again by loud thuds and screeches of metal on metal, she went to the window, opened it, and screamed.

"HEY! CUT IT OUT!"

The boy payed no attention to her.

"Oh this is ridiculous." Muttered Kaeo as she pulled on her clothes and left the room. She trudged down the spiral staircase and looked around for where the door to this mystery courtyard might be. She turned around, and hidden in a corner right behind the staircase, was a small, thick door. Its doorknob had a turtle carved into it.

She opened it and walked inside.

"Hey!" She screamed, shielding her face as a metal spike pierced the wall next to her head.

"HEY!"

The boy stopped and turned around. "Who are you?"

She looked back at the huge metal spike that almost pierced her head. "I'm a servant here. And I'm trying to sleep."

"Are you a colonist?"

Kaeo stared at him until she realized that it was probably too dark to see her hair color.

"No, I'm a Wood Islander."

"Alright. You want to sit?" He leaned on a metal block to his left with his elbow.

"What the hell, I'm not going to get back to sleep anyway." Kaeo said as she jumped up and sat on a block opposite. She peered across at him, kicking her legs over the edge. She wanted to be mad at him for waking her up three nights in a row, but she couldn't. There was something about him, an innocence that she couldn't ignore. She felt compelled to tell him her life story.

And after two hours of talking to him, she did. It was the first time she had told anyone about her parents, or her brothers.

"So your entire family were woodbenders?" He said. "Does that mean you are?"

Kaeo looked at her feet. Her life secret.

"You can't tell anyone." She said.

"I won't."

She looked at his face. His black hair rested over his forehead, puffed up over a red, white, and black headband. He was telling the truth.

"Oh my god, is it sunrise already?" She sat up, startled. "I've got to get to work!"

"Wait," the boy grabbed her wrist. "What's your name?"

She looked down at him, startled. "Kaeo."

"I'm Lagi."

She walked towards the door.

"Hey Kaeo!"

"What?" She turned around, annoyed.

"Will you come back tonight?"

She laughed and exited through the door.

Kaeo didn't just come back that night. She returned to the mystery courtyard every night that week. She learned more about Lagi than anyone she had ever known. She learned that he was an only child, and he had moved here with his parents two years ago, after his father sparked an interest in wood island culture.

He had been metal bending since an early age. His father, also a metal bender, taught it to him.

"What do you say we get out of the courtyard tonight?" Said Lagi one night, two weeks after their first encounter.

They walked off the house grounds and through the town, and rested in a grassy field at the foot of a hill.

"No stars tonight." Lagi sighed, laying on his back, looking up at where they would be.

"Still beautiful." Kaeo looked into his black eyes.

He turned to face her. His arms were stretched out and folded underneath his head.

"I'm falling in love with you." She said.

Lagi grinned. "Me too." He said. "except with you."

She laughed and leaned over to kiss him.

One more week, and Kaeo and Lagi met every day before she went back to work in the evening.

One day, the two were making out on their usual grassy hill, when Kaeo opened her eyes and saw the sun.

"Oh my god, what time is it?" She exclaimed.

"Probably, like, eight at night?"

"I'm late!" She shouted.

They both ran back to the house, rushing into the front doors. Lagi's mother and father were waiting.

"How come you two came in at the same time?" Taine asked.

Lagi and Kaeo looked at each other.

"Chance, I guess." Said Lagi. Kaeo bowed before rushing off the kitchen.

"Lagi, a letter came for you." Laeo heard Lagi's mother say as she ran past.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Kaeo shouted, grabbing an apron from the wall and, tying it on, pushing open the kitchen door with her butt.

"Where have you been?" Said the grumpy old cook, hands on her hips.

"I got lost in town, I'm sorry!"

"Lost in town." Grumbled the cook. "In my day, there was no town to get lost in!"

That night, Kaeo opened the door to the courtyard to find Lagi already seated.

"Kaeo," he stood up and held out his hand. "I have something to tell you."

"What? You look worried." She walked forward.

"The Metal Nation is drafting."

"What does that mean?"

He sat down. "They're starting a new invasion, I guess. Stronger, and harder. It needs more soldiers."

Kaeo stayed standing. "Well why can't they take soldiers from the Metal Island?"

"They had all these deals, when they let people colonize the Wood Island, one of them was that their children would be the first to be drafted for war. Nobody actually thought there would be another invasion."

"Well you can't join in! It's the Wood Island! Your home! _My_ people!"

"I don't have a choice!" Lagi stood up and faced her. "If I don't go, they'll arrest me!"

"Then run away! Leave the island!" She cried.

"Leave? Where would I go? No one's allowed off the island! I doubt we could if we tried! And we're not even in contact with the rest of the world!"

"You can't be thinking that you're actually going to join the army, Lagi?" She screamed, lifting her hands and covering her face. "The army took my entire family away from me! They stole my life!"

"You know I don't want to, Kaeo." He took her hands in his. "I hate fighting. But I have no choice. I have to leave in a week."

"Go away."

"Kaeo-"

"GO AWAY, I SAID!" She screamed, and turned away from him.

She heard him step back, then walk away. The heavy metal door slammed behind him.

"Dammit!" Kaeo sobbed, and fell to her knees. It had been only a month since she met him, only a month since she had fallen in love, and now, the first good thing to happen to her in years, was being taken away from her, just like that.


	4. Chapter 4

"Look, there they are!" Aang pointed to a tiny dot in the sky.

"Are you sure? It looks like a bird to me.." said Zuko, squinting.

"Nope, it's definitely Appa." Said Aang. "See, it's getting bigger."

Zuko shaded his eyes with his hand. "Oh yeah." He said.

"Aang, buddy!" Sokka shouted, as he jumped down from Appa's saddle. The group exchanged hugs just like they had a month ago.

"Come on, lunch is ready for us" Said Zuko.

"I love that we're friends with the most powerful man in the fire nation!" Said Sokka, rushing after him.

"Well, I asked around," Said Katara, "and the Water Tribes have legends of two more secret elements, too. But like the Air Nomads' legend," she added, "Nobody knows where the islands are."

"You know, I mentioned it to Suki." Said Sokka. "And she said there are legends of two hidden islands in Kyoshi too."

"Well, I've never heard of any secret elements." Said Zuko, "But it completely goes against the balance of the universe that we've always known. There have always been four elements. That's just it."

"Yeah, I never heard that legend before, either." Added Toph. "And the idea of two more elements just seems.. unnatural."

"Well, all our work is done." Said Aang. "I say we check it out anyway."

"Aang's right." Said Katara, "I say we leave tonight, and we should be at that part of the world by tomorrow morning."

"Alright," said Zuko. "But I hope you all know, if this raggedy island guy is lying, or exaggerating, we'll have wasted a whole month of our time."

That night, the group boarded up Appa with supplies for the short journey.

"It looks like a good night to fly, buddy." Aang patted Appa. "We shouldn't have any trouble tonight!"

"That's funny," Katara said early the next morning, looking at the map, "We should be over the islands right about now."

Appa was carrying the five over a blue ocean, under a beautiful clear sky. Underneath them were hundreds of tiny islands, closely knit together, none of them inhabited.

"Well, why aren't we?" Sokka peered over her shoulder. "The raggedy old island man penciled in where the islands would be."

"Yeah but we've been flying for hours and I haven't seen any islands worth landing on." Said Katara.

"Guys, I think I see a storm coming." Said Aang, pointing at a cloud in front of them. It was large, dark, and ominous.

"I thought you said it was good weather to fly!" Said Sokka.

"That's what I thought.." Said Aang, taking the reins and taking a sharp turn.

"It's moving too fast!" Said Zuko. "Aang, steer clear of it!"

"I'm trying!" He shouted back. "It's too big!"

"Everybody hold on!" Shouted Katara.

"What's going on?" Asked Toph, who had just woken up from a nap. "What's with all the wind?"

"Just hold on, Toph!" Shouted Katara.

"What? Why?"

It had started to pour. Appa, fighting hard to stay flying through all of the wind, had started to tilt.

"Guys! Aah!" Toph was flying off the saddle and falling through the storm in mid air.

"Toph!" Shouted Katara.

"Hold on!" Aang jumped off his place at Appa's head, and airbended down, trying to reach Toph, who was dangerously close to hitting the water.

"Shoot, hang on Toph!" Aang couldn't reach her in time. He reached out one arm and bended the water from a distance; it rised up and swallowed Toph.

"What's he doing?" Called Zuko, still hanging onto Appa's saddle.

"It's so the collision doesn't hurt her!" Katara called back, seated at Appa's reins, trying to lead him out of the storm.

"Toph!" Aang sped down, raising the water for himself. Once under the water, he swam this way and that, searching for her.

"Shit, she's been down there too long." Said Sokka. "She still can't swim."

Aang peered around frantically looking for her. Her surfaced without her.

"Can we help?" Zuko peered down.

"He'll be fine!" Shouted Katara. "Stay on the saddle!"

Aang submerged again, turning every which way. The water was too thick and turbulent to see. Finally, he saw a dark form sinking deeper in the water.

He swam towards her, and grabbed her waist, pulling her to the surface. "Katara!" He waved. He raised the water, keeping them both afloat. Appa met them halfway, and Sokka climbed down to retrieve Toph, still unconscious, from Aang's arms.

"Is she OK? Toph," Sokka patted her cheek.

"Sokka, move." Katara pushed him aside. She laid Toph on her back, opened her mouth, and bended a pint of water out in one swift move. Toph coughed.

"There you go," Said Katara, helping her to sit up.

"What, do we need to tie you to the saddle, or just hit you every five minutes to keep you awake?" Zuko said. The entire group laughed, even Aang, who was soaked and shivering, and Toph, who had just had her second near drowning experience.

"Guys," pointed Sokka, "Is that it?"

As the storm cleared, they saw two islands, circled around each other.

"That's got to be it."

Katara sent Appa descending onto the smaller island.

"Let's go find some secret elements, guys!"

They landed in a tropical forest, and covered Appa in large leaves.

"You blend in perfectly, buddy." Said Aang.

And the Gaang headed off through the forest. After about ten minutes of walking, they came to a cobblestone road.

"Look, here's a town." Said Zuko.

"But there's no one here." The buildings looked newly made. They were constructed of iron, painted over in bright colors.

"It's still early in the morning" Said Sokka, looking at the sun. "I guess we should just keep walking until we find someone to talk to."

- - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Kaeo and Lagi hadn't talked in days. Kaeo hadn't slept well since their fight, and Lagi hadn't practiced in the courtyard.

She stood in the kitchen, scrubbing at a large pot, thinking things over again, when she heard a large crowd coming up the street outside. There was a window right above the sink, and as she looked out, she saw dozens of men marching out towards the coast, all in metal army uniform.

She went back to her pot; Lagi wasn't scheduled to depart until next year. But she couldn't help but look up again, and she saw a young black haired boy, struggling to keep up with the soldiers. He was half their size, and even his armor was too big for him.

Disgusted, she tore off her apron and stomped out of the kitchen.

"Young lady!" Shouted the cook. "You're not done here!"

"I'm sick! I'm going to bed!"

That night, Kaeo twisted and turned in her bed. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead, and she mumbled in her sleep. At sunrise, she awoke with a terrible headache.

"What's wrong with you?" Pineke asked that morning. "You haven't been yourself lately."

"Yeah, well, I'm just stressed over this invasion deal. Why are they even doing it, anyway? They've already taken over the country!"

"I don't know. Something must be up, though. And why are you upset about it? The Metal Nation's only doing the wood island a favor."

"Oh, right, Pineke. Coming in and burning down our villages is doing us a favor."

"They're civilizing the wood islanders! All they're doing is helping them to be more civilized, and less, less savage."

"Savage! You think I'm savage?!" Kaeo shouted.

"Well, no! Not you! You work in the colonies!" She stuttered. "You and I, we're different!"

"_You_, Pineke, are no different from the people that you come from!" Kaeo pointed at her. "If they're savage, then so are you. And so am I!" She stormed out of the room, broom in hand.

No one was awake yet; it was still too early for anyone to be on the street. She walked outside and kicked the base of a nearby palm tree with the top of her foot.

"YAH!" She screamed as it exploded into splinters.

She looked around- no one was on the street. She sighed and picked up her broom, and walked back inside.

Kaeo had gotten over her anger with Pineke. It didn't make sense to stay angry while she had work to do. But she couldn't fight off the lump at the back of her throat that came with discouragement and that familiar feeling of hopelessness. She soaked a mop into a bucket and picked it up. She headed outside again and poured the murky brown water onto the side of the road.

"Hey, there's someone." She heard someone say.

"Hey!" a group of people was coming toward her.

"Yeah?" This was weird.

"This is the Wood Island, right?" Said a tall boy with a painful looking scar on his eye.

"Yeah.. it is, but no one refers to it like that anymore."

"Oh, well, we're not from around here." Said a friendly looking girl in blue.

"Where are you from, then?" This had to be a prank.

"Water Tribes," said Friendly, and another boy in blue at the same time.

"Earth Kingdom." Kaeo looked down at a short girl in green that she hadn't noticed before.

"Fire Nation." Said Scar Boy.

"Air Temples." Said a third boy, this one with orange clothes and a weird blue tattoo on his bald head.

Kaeo gaped. "You're not from the Islands?"

"Not even close." Said Tattoo Kid.

She paused, contemplating what to do. This could be a unique opportunity. They were the only people on the street, and no one else was awake in the house, except for Pineke.

"Why don't you come inside?" She opened the door to them and creeped inside.

"Now, tell me what you're doing here." She said, taking up her mopping.

"You mean you haven't heard of me?" Tattoo kid asked. She shook her head.

"I don't even know your name." The strangers exchanged looks.

"This is Aang." Said the friendly girl. "He's the Avatar."

"Ok.. that's nice.. I'm Kaeo. I'm the house maid."

Friendly looked frustrated. "I'm Katara, this is Sokka, Toph, and Zuko."

"It's great to meet you all, but I still don't understand why you're here." Kaeo said. "And I've never heard of the Earth Tribes, or the Water Temples, let alone the Avatar."

"Look", the small girl walked forward and pointed. "We were told by an outside source that your island was in need of some assistance. We," she gestured to the rest of the group, "pretty much saved the world three years ago. I don't know how the hell you haven't heard of us before, but we've cleared a whole month in our busy schedules to help you and your little islands out. Got it?"

Kaeo stared. "I.." she stuttered. "I think you'd better follow me." She took them into the one place she knew no one would go; the courtyard.

And there the group sat, and explained to her in ten minutes who they were and what they were here for.

"So, who was that guy, that asked for your help?" She asked, at the end of their story.

"No clue. All we could do was offer him a room in exchange for directions, and he was gone the next morning." Said Zuko.

"Aang needs to learn wood bending. And then, he needs to learn Metal Bending."

"Who can teach him?" Asked Toph.

The group looked at Kaeo.

"Oh, no. No way. Nobody woodbends anymore. There isn't a single wood bender left."

"Roku said it's a bad idea to do anything until I've mastered both elements." Said Aang.

"Well, we've got to find someone, we'll probably have to take them off the island too." Added Sokka. They got up and made for the door.

"Wait!" Kaeo stood up, breathing heavily. It occurred to her that she had never been more nervous in her life.

"I'm probably the worst house maid on the entire island." She said. "But I'm also the best woodbender."


End file.
